Christmas Is Just Another Day of Missionary Work For Missionaries

 Here's a video of a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year greetings from the Taiwan Taichung missionaries (Click below):

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! I hope all of you back home are still enjoying this beautiful holiday season!  I know I am, though perhaps in a bit of a different way than I am used to.  Christmas, as predicted, wasn't a very big event.  Sister Schultz and I celebrated by going to our favorite Japanese noodle place and also by going to a Italian place called NuPasta.  Both were really enjoyable, though perhaps not the most healthy, but hey, when are the holidays ever healthy? Haha!

So this week, once again has passed by in a blurr of fun and missionary work.  It was a bit different though, since we were trying to change things up.  Since coming to Taiwan, I've learned that missionary work, isn't quite missionary work without creativity, laughter, and having a good time.  Of course, there is a balance between fun and being dilligent, but we are still expected to be ourselves out here.  Because the Lord called us to be missionaries, not robots.  He gave us all of our talents and we are expected to use them.... Even if that means making a very cute poster to powerboard about the true meaning of Christmas and then singing Christmas carols and hymns to try and attract people to come over.... That's how we spent a bit of time on Christmas Eve and Christmas.... Well.... It was a bit less than effective, since Our singing wasn't really that attractive nor loud enough to be heard above the average noise level of Taiwan....  Also, I can't really write Chinese and Sister Schultz can't either.... so there was one mistake on our poster, which made me really sad... But Elder Xu, the Taiwanese Elder in our Pingdong district said he could "kan de dong" (understand when he read it.) So... It's all good.  I hope we made someone at least feel the joy of the Christmas Season.  If not, it at least made Sister Schultz and I really happy, so we could do this work with a more joyful spirit. :D

The rest of our Christmas day was less than exciting though.... We just had to teach English, like we do every Wednesday.... But, there was a bit of a change.  I am now teaching Chuji Ban (Begginner's Class)!  Why is that, you might ask?  Because all of you know how much I "loved" teaching Xiao Peng You ban (the Kid's class) (Which I really did end up being fine with teaching the kids... they were just loud and wouldn't listen.... but I got used to it).  Well, I have been switched to being the teacher for the Begginner's class because Ping Dong now only has 4 missionaries, as opposed to the 6 that we used to have.  Elder Bardsley and Elder Teerlink have left us this mini move call.... (Elder Bardsley is now back in Utah after completing his 2 years as a missionary, and Elder Teerlink is now up closer to Taichung) So now with three American missionaries and one Taiwanese missionary, teaching 4 different classes of English, it made more sense to put the Taiwanese missionary over the little kids than have him teach the other classes.  I kind of miss teaching the Kids.  The adults are so boring.  They just want to learn English straight from the text book, and not from playing fun games and making Christmas cards.... Ah well....  I hope I can be a good English teacher for them.... but I'll have to adjust so I can figure out how to teach adults and not kids.... Haha! :D

My favorite day was December 26th, since I got to skype with my family back at home!  I loved seeing all of your facesfaces and talking to all of you!  I love all of you guys!  You all look grown up... hehehe!  And you all look happy and healty! I wish I could be there celebrating the Holiday Season with all of you, but I guess I'll just have to wait till next year.  That will be fun. :D 

This week was also fun, since we had Companion Exchanges again!  Sister Schultz went to Sanmin, and I stayed in Ping Dong with Sister Ward, who is a very stellar missionary and sister training leader.  Sister Ward and I had a great time, and we saw a lot of miricles as well as had a lot of cool/interesting experiences.  Well, first off, we ended up talking and sharing a message with a Sister Huang (who is not a member of the Church, but her neighbors are and so they sent us over to help her clean).  She had read our small hand out over and over again, and was quizing us on the inside, and she said she believed it all!  She also really wanted her own Book of Mormon.  But when I told her we can spend our whole lives studing it.  She gave me a funny look and said, "But if I read it one time, I'll pretty much have memorized it all.  How can you read a book over and over again?"  Well, it turns out her reading comprehension and memory is almost super human.... Hopefully she enjoys reading the Book of Mormon, and hopefully she learn through prayer the truth of its words.  She told us straight up, before we even mentioned it, that when she finds out what we've been sharing is true, she will get baptised! Soo Cool! We are going to take her up to her words. :D Haha!

Also, we learned this week (also when I was on companion exchanges) that our Chinese investigator (Chen JM) will probably not be getting baptised.... Since she doesn't have time before she goes back to China due to school things....  Also.... She is terrified of water.  After sharing with her about the Gospel of Christ (Faith, Repentance, Baptism, The Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End) she said she was good with all of them, and really wanted to Endure to the End, but.... she isn't so sure about a baptism by water.... We told her to pray.... Hopefully that will help her increase in Faith, so one day she will be able to follow the Example of Jesus Christ and be baptised into his church, so she can Endure to the End.....  So... Pray for her!  I know the Lord is watching out for her, but now there's not much that us missionaries can do, especially since she is leaving....

Funny moment of the week!  Sister Schultz and I were pulled over, looking for an address, when a Taiwanese lady came over and started talking to us.... Well, when Sister Schultz turned her head to face the lady, the lady's eyes got big and she said: "Whoa! Ni de bi zi hen da!" (Woa! You're nose is really big), and she turned around and walked away......  Sister Schultz and I couldn't stop laughing.  Taiwan people are so cute and funny!

So, I should probably wrap up this email soon, as it is growing rapidly.... I must really like to type.... Anyways, before I go, Ihave a few more things that I want to share with you/say:

HAPPY NEW YEARS!  Do you know what my favorite part of having a new year?  It's the thought of having a new clean slate to work with! A new chapter in life's journey and the possibilities are endless! A year is a long time if you think about it.  Many things can change, and many moments can pass by.  So how do you use your new year effectivly?  How do you get the most out of it?  By making goals!  I've never been much of a goals person, until I came on a mission.  And even now I need more work on it.  But Goals help us grow.  They help us reach our potentials.  They can be fun or practical.  The first thing about goals though, is that you have to write them down in a place that you will see them often.  Goals that aren't written down are just wishes.... And by seeing them often, you can make sure you are working towards accomplishing them.  God gave us time so we could learn and grow.  He gives us each and every moment, every day, every week, every month, every year etc. to prepare ourselves to come back into his kingdom.  He sent us hear to learn and grow.  He wants us to progress and gain experiences.  But our time here is precious.  By setting goals we can use it wisely.  So set goals this year.  And work to accomplish them.  And I know, that by doing so, you will not be dissapointed with this new year.

I love you all! And I hope you continue being awesome!  Thank you for all of your support and love.  May you feel the love of God in every moment of your life.  Pray always.  Be Faithful.

Love, Sister Nicholle Peng

Busy and chaotic week!!!

 Sister Peng sent a few really cute pictures; however, my computer doesn't want to cooperate with the downloading of them so I will add them later when it is more cooperative.  Thank you for your understanding......well, guess you really didn't have a choice. Merry Christmas All!!!

Hello Mom and Everyone else!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! I can't believe this Wednesday is already Christmas!  Though, it's beginning to feel like more and more like Christmas since the members are really putting forth the extra effort to make it feel more like a traditional American Christmas.  Christmas here, for the missionaries at least, is a bit different.  There's no big hoopla about it.  We just keep on doing what we've been called to do.  Preaching the gospel.  Serving others.  But that's all good to me. :)

Well, last week has been a super crazy one!  I can't believe it's already over. And I especially can't believe it was only one week! It feels like we did at least two weeks worth of activities and eating all in the period of a few days....  I don't even really remember what we did for most of Monday through Wednesday....  All I remember, since I do have pictures is that it rained a lot.... The Rain is back, which didn't really make me very happy.... ah well....  And the weather got cold (which did make it feel a bit more like winter at least)....  But other than that, those days seem so long ago!

Thursday was crazy and made Sister Eliason and I very tired, due to the MISSION CHRISTMAS ACTIVITY!!!!  It was sooo fun! All of us missionaries in the Taichung mission got together and we all went to Sun Moon Lake in Nantou.  Sun Moon Lake is supposed to be very pretty.... but it was all fogged over (at least it didn't rain).  But that's okay, since there were a lot of cute shops selling Aboriginal tourist items and really pretty things.  So all of us missionaries just kind of wandered around, bought stuff and socialized with missionaries we haven't seen for a long time.  Like I got to see Sister Eliason, Sister Anderson, Sister Mancia, all of the other people in my MTC generation, Elder Dawson, and Sister Whitney Mangleson (Fron Startalk, also Elder Dawson's friend).  It was super fun!  Also, we then went to Taichung for linner (lunch and dinner combined in one meal) and for our devotional.  For Linner we went to a giant Chi Dao Bao (buffet), that had everything from Steak, sushi, mongolian grill, fried things, ice cream, and Taiwan Shaved Ice.  There was sooo much food! Thankfully, Sister Schultz and I could control our selves for the most part, because we knew what Friday would have in store....

Friday was a day of stuffing your face so you wouldn't make members feel bad...  We got chinged (taken out to eat) twice in one day...  And both of them were all you can eat hot pot buffets....  They were both really good, but by the end of each meal we felt like exploading!  Our plan was originally to try and not eat too much at the first buffet, but it ended up being a buffet where you order things and they keep bringing food to your table....  So the member we were with, knowing that we couldn't read the menus decided to order EVERYTHING..... and she kept telling us that it all had to be eaten... O.o  The buffet was of the normal variety where you can choose for yourself what you want to eat, so it was a bit easier to just grab what we knew we could eat....  But both of the places were pretty pricy, so we had to make sure we found a balance between eating enough to not make the members happy and not too much to make us expload.... it was crazy!  But sooo good!

On friday we also had the opportunity to share the Christmas Nativity story with a group of 30 children since an investigator invited us to their party.  It was a fun experience, though the kids were a bit chaotic....

On Saturday we then went up with the some members to do a service project at a branch of the Red Cross that takes care of special needs people.  That was fun.  Missionaries where invited from our stake to go and help provide the entertainment.  Our district did the Nativity story, and other districts sang songs and did other performances.  It was nice to make the people in the hospital smile and bring them a little bit of Christmas joy.  It's always nice serving people, since it makes both you and those you are serving happy. :)  During the evening was our Ward's Christmas party/potluck which was very yummy and was a very good opportunity to meet new people.  We also watched a movie (The Fourth Wise Man) which had a very good message concerning the scripture found in Matthew 25:

 35 For I was an ^ahungred, and ye ^bgave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a ^cstranger, and ye took me in:

 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye ^avisited me: I was in ^bprison, and ye came unto me.

 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

 39 Or when saw we thee ^asick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

 40 And the King (Christ) shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have ^adone it unto one of the ^bleast of these my ^cbrethren, ye have done it unto me.

What I like about this scripture is about how easy it is to give back to the Lord, who has given us so much.  He just asks that we serve others! So as we celebrate the Lord's birth, what are all of you planning on giving for his birthday? What do you give to the King of Kings?  The Lord who is creator of all?  What can we give, aside from our love and our service?  And so, that is all he asks of us.  This Christmas season, I invite all of you to take some time to not focus on the material part of Christmas and focus more on the spiritual part.  Think of the giving, not the getting.  And focus on the True meaning of CHRISTmas.

To tell the truth, of course I wish more than anything to be back for Christmas with my family and friends.  But on the other hand, I can't think of a better way to spend Christmas then doing so here in Taiwan as a Missionary.  I know I am doing the Lord's work, and I know he is taking care of me.  I'm beginning to understand more about the true feeling of the Spirit of Christmas.  And I believe that this Christmas is bound to make all of my future Christmas's to have more meaning.

I hope all of you are doing well and that you are having a great holiday season!  I miss all of you and love all of you with all of my heart!  Don't worry about me missing out on the "fun" parts of Christmas, since the members here are already taking care of that. Haha! The people here are so nice.  One day, I'll have to take you guys to meet all of them. :) 

Thank you for all of your support and love!  Merry Christmas　聖延節快樂! 

Love, Sister Peng

"If I don't move, perhaps the missionaries will disappear......"

Dear Mum and the World (I've decided to address the world as a whole, considering the fact that I don't want to disclude anyone or anything that happens to read my updates.  I love you all!),

Well, it’s beginning to look like Christmas..... Well.... not really...  Christmas isn't really celebrated here in Taiwan, and it's mostly seen as a foreigner holiday.  Sure some people decorate (very very seldom though), but they don't know why...  There are some churches who do do activities though, including our church, which does kind of give us the Christmas spirit.... but here, for missionaries at least, the Christmas spirit is more of just a Christ spirit.  We continue doing what we always do. We serve Christ through our work, and what better way is there to give a present to the King of Kings?

This upcoming week will be really busy though, since we get to attend our missionary Christmas activity that includes the whole mission, and we also will be attending the stake and ward Christmas activities, which should be fun.  We are also going to be "ching-ed" by the members (taken out to dinner) a lot... and man, most of them are choosing to take us to chi-dao-baos (eat till fulls) that are very very expensive and a bit overwhelming.... Because if you know Taiwan people.... They can put a ton of food in their almost nonexistent stomachs and waistlines...

Anyways, this week, we had signs of having a white Christmas!  Well... not the white Christmas that all of you are thinking of.... more of like the Taiwan White Christmas in which everything outside looks white from our apartment windows due to the fog/smog/air pollution/ wu ran.....  yup... not very appealing... especially when you know you have to go outside and be in it all day long.... yum....

So, this week was pretty fun/normal/abnormal/really really fast.  It started off on Monday shopping in a market (which we found by accident).  IT was super fun! There were a lot of people and a lot of clothes to buy and such.  Sister Schultz and I bought really cute bags that are water proof and can turn into shoulder bags or back packs.  They are super cute!  Anyways, we thought it was so fun, we went back this morning so we could actually get pictures.  We took pictures of the food part of the market, which was an experience in itself as well. :)

On Wednesday, we had an adventure of sorts.  We went to one of our secondary areas called Wen Dan.  It's very shang xia, which in other words is very country ish.  There is still a lot of people who live there, but it's less busy and big like Ping Dong City is.  We didn't have much success in finding people out there....  In fact, many people knew exactly who we were and wouldn't give us the light of day.  One of the funniest door contacting stories occurred out there though.  There was a woman who was cleaning her windows from the inside, and so we went to go ring her bell.... well... as soon as we rang the bell, she turned into a statue!  Even when we were waving at her and calling greetings to her she did not move.... I don't know if she thought that if she didn't move we wouldn't see her... or what.... but we were really confused and didn't leave for a couple of minutes.... She didn't move an inch!  We couldn't stop laughing after we left. :P Haha! Poor lady!

Thursday was not very good.... kind of really boring.... Sister Schultz was really sick, and we couldn't leave the appartment.  We think she caught a food virus or something.... Anyways, while she rested and such... I was left to doing whatever I could do in the apartment.... which meant calling a lot of phones.... I don't think I've ever calling so many phones in my life!!!!  I about went mad!  I still haven't gotten over my anxiety over phones... but I'm a lot better than I was!

On Friday the biggest thing that happened was the fact that we had a very very awesome lesson with Chen JM, our Chinese (like from China) investigator.  We had planned to teach just about the Plan of Salvation (Lesson 2), but ended up teaching about the Gospel of Christ (Lesson3) as well, since she just kept leading into it with her questions.  She just understands everything!  And she apparently really likes the Plan of Salvation because she likes the idea of progressing at every step and she really wants to go to the Celestial kingdom!  She is also really open to the idea of baptism, so.... Hopefully we have a baptism soon! We haven't had one for a while, but that's okay.  These people just need to be prepared, you can't just throw them into the water and hope that they'll be solid in the gospel afterwards.

Saturday wasn't a very happy day for me.... because.... the rain returned!  I hate the rain when I have to bike.... it makes me wet and cold.... and it makes my mosquito bites hurt.... but it's all worth it for the work of the Lord! We chose that day to go into one of our secondary areas as well (Chang Zhi), so we had a lot of biking... but that's okay, it wasn't too bad.  The morning was good though.  We had our investigator Family (Zhang Family) take us to a Japanese noodle place.  They ordered really really spicy soup for us, since we said we like spicy.  I was fine, for the most part.  But Sister Schultz swallowed some of it wrong and her eyes started tearing up and she was bright red! Haha! It was very very yummy.... but next time I think we'll order the Curry noodle soup instead....

Sunday was CRAZY! And so awesome!  We had 7 investigators come to church!  7!!!!! Granted, 4 of them were there for a school project since they had to talk to foreigners and interview them, but they stayed for all 3 hours of church.  On Saturday we also had other students who attended a baptism so they could also have interviews with us afterwards.  Perhaps the Lord is working with the schools to have people come in contact with our church. Haha!  But it's great to meet them, and it's nice for them to see what our church is like.  Hopefully they'll come back one day for an activity or English Class or even for church!

Anyways, having so many investigators at church was truly a miracle!  We've been seeing many other miracles in our work, such as being introduced to really golden investigators, lately.  And none of them are actually coming directly through our own efforts.  We keep trying so hard to find new investigators through contacting or service, but we've had zilch! Nada! Zero!  Instead, most of our new people are coming because of member referrals or from just showing up one day because they came to English class once before.... 

I really believe that the Lord gives us many miracles every day. And when we are doing his work or when we are doing what he wants us to do, he gives us even more!  The Lord is a very loving Father and he is willing to help and reward us when we exercise faith and do what is right. 

Sometimes it's hard to see why we have to do something, such as follow a commandment or go through a hard trial when we can't see the benefits out right.  Sometimes we try to make deals with God, telling him that if he lets us have the blessings now, or if he gives us a sure sign that things will turn out right, then we'll do what he asks.  But in fact, it's the other way around.  In Ether 12:6 it reads:"faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."

So have faith, and follow the will of the Lord.  I know, that the promises in the scriptures are true.  That if we keep His commandments, the windows of heaven will be opened unto us, and that we will have the blessings of heaven pour out upon us.  I know that the only way of increasing in faith is to exercise it.  So if you are facing a trial, or if you are having problems keeping commandments, have faith.  Read 1 Nephi 3:7.  Pray. Act.

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas season, and that you might feel the warmth of the Spirit in your hearts.  Don't forget the true meaning of CHRISTmas! Love you!!!

Love, Sister Peng

...And Sister Peng Was Transferred to............?

Dear Mom, family, and friends,

Good morning! Or evening or afternoon.... wherever you are....  :D  Greetings from........Drum roll please!..... Ping Dong!  I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking, "Wait.... I thought you were moving?  Isn't Ping Dong where you were?"  And you would be correct!  I didn't end up moving after all!

So, this week was crazy!  Ever since last week's Saturday night when President Blickenstaff called us telling me that I would be moving, and Sister Schultz that she would become trainer, everything has been very very busy/emotional/crazy/tiring/etc... I spent the first part of the week doing missionary work, packing, and saying goodbye to people.  And our short amount of time was made even shorter due to traveling to different meetings (one of which was three hours away by train for Sister Schultz's training), and because we also had a lot of preparation to do for the English Party we had on Wednesday.

I was super sad at the thought of having to leave Ping Dong, but I finally got myself prepared (emotionally and physically) to leave my first area.  Sister Schultz also was preparing stressing out and getting excited for her new step as a trainer....  And then in the middle of all this, two of the elders in our district got a call saying that they would be both moved out of the area and that Ping Dong will only be having 4 missionaries as opposed to the 6 that they've had for about a year....  So they were also having a stressful week trying to say good bye and transfer all of their records over to the other elders in Ping Dong.... So we were all kind of scrambled this week...

(Hey, but at least our English Party went pretty smoothly!  The Elders did a wonderful job putting together most of it.  Also, we wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of the members.  So thanks to them!!!)

Luggage all packed up and ready to go

Well... On Thursday night, when all of us missionaries were eating dinner at an all you can eat Hot Pot with some ward members- it was a kind of good bye dinner for us missionaries who would be leaving- Sister Schultz and I got a call from the Mission President...  Apparently, one of the new incoming sister's visa didn't come through, and so Sister Schultz doesn't need to train this move call.  He said to not unpack my bags (which were packed in anticipation of moving on Friday) because he wasn't sure if I would still move or not on Monday. 

And then, on Friday, the elders learned that Ping Dong will still have 6 missionaries, so they weren't really sure who was going to move or if they were going to move either.... And we were all waiting for Saturday to come along so we could figure out what in the world was going on?!?!?!

Well, on Saturday, we learned that only one missionary will be moving from Ping Dong.  Elder Buckwalter, who wasn't very surprised.  But the ward will be very sad to see him go, because he is a very good missionary.  Anyways, Sunday was a bit funny/awkward/nice.  Many people came up to me and said "Wait? I thought you were moving?"  And then Sister Schultz and I would tell them about what happened.  I felt very loved on Sunday.  People kept hugging me and telling me that I could just spend my whole mission in Ping Dong, and that they didn't want me to leave.

The Nativity

I'm so glad that I still have time in Ping Dong.  I'll be here for Christmas! Which will be great, since these people are pretty much family! Heck, we all look the same! Haha!  I'll also be able to spend more time with Sister Schultz!  I can tell she is a bit disappointed for not training... But I'm glad she isn't.  I don't want to leave quite yet.  I'll have another move call. :)

Anyways, with all of what's happened this week, I've learned that while you are a missionary, prepare for anything and everything to happen.  Changes happen every time you plan something, so always have a backup plan.  And always have a backup plan to your back up plan. :)  You just have to do what the Lord wants you to do, because this is his work and he wants you to do it on his way.

Chinese Santa

And so, kind of on a side note that goes along with my morning studies, I'm going to share a little bit about the importance of being prepared and not procrastinating.  For some reason, we humans love to push things off until tomorrow.  We keep saying how short time is, and how it just flies by, but we are just as quick to say that we'll do things tomorrow....  But what happens when we run out of tomorrows?  When will we ever get anything done?  We delude ourselves into thinking that our time in the future is endless.... And I guess in a sense, it is... But our time to make changes, to improve ourselves is very very short.

In Alma 34:33 it reads "And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed."

Our purpose in this life is to prepare ourselves to one day live with God.  We have been given this time to repent, or in other words change and improve.  I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to set goals for tomorrows.  I want to make changes in my life, but I keep thinking that I need to wait for a tomorrow to make it an official new beginning.... But then when tomorrow comes, I find that I've forgotten the changes I wanted to make.... Or I decide to make those changes... Tomorrow....

But I know that that's not what the Lord, my Heavenly Father would have me do.  He wants me to make those changes NOW.  Not tomorrow, not a week from now... Not at the beginning of a new year even.  He wants all of us change now, so that we may have more time to improve and come unto him.  The sooner we act on the changes we want to make in this life, the sooner we will be able to receive the rewards from those changes.... So why wait?  Change now!

One of these changes that I want to make in my life is getting into the habit of talking to everyone.  I just get to awkward or timid, and I think: "Next time I'll talk to everyone...."  But this week, I've started to push myself to talk to people, and so has Sister Schultz, and we've actually had two new investigators this week, despite the craziness of it all!  And both of them are very solid investigators!  (One of them is from China and has accepted a baptismal date and the other one is only 13 and has already read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover!) I know it's a blessing of the Lord for us trying to make changes in our lives to align ourselves more with his will.  I am grateful for the love and mercy he has for each and every one of us.  And I know that if we want to make a good and worthwhile change in ourselves he is more than willing to help us accomplish our goals.

I'm so grateful for this chance to serve the Lord and for this chance I have to make changes in myself.  I hope that when I return back to Utah, I'll have had made changes here that will stick with me for a life time.  I love this work, and I know it's the Lord's work. 

Pineapple Bread/cake & dragon fruit. 

I hope you are all doing well and that you all are able to see the Lord's hand in your life.  Be strong and of a good courage!  Always be awesome! Always be you!

Bowl of Dragonfruit

Love,
Sister Nicholle Peng